Anton Hafner
|death_date= |birth_place=Erbach an der Donau |death_place=near Gumbinnen, East Prussia |placeofburial= |placeofburial_label= Place of burial |image=Anton_Hafner_(pilot).jpg |caption=Anton Hafner |nickname=''Toni'' |allegiance= |serviceyears=1940–1944 |rank=Oberleutnant |branch= Luftwaffe |commands= |unit=JG 51 |battles=World War II *Eastern Front *North African campaign |awards=''Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves'' }} Anton "Toni" Hafner (born 2 June 1918 in Erbach an der Donau, killed in action 17 October 1944 on the Eastern front) was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( ) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade the Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. World War II , Emil Lang, Günther Schack, Otto Kittel and Anton Hafner (shaking hands with Adolf Hitler) receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves from Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring at the Berghof, Obersalzberg on 5 May 1944. Hafner is shaking Hitler's hand|alt=Five men all wearing military uniforms and decorations standing in row. The man on the far right is shaking hands with another man whose back is facing the camera. Another man is standing behind the men shaking hands.]] On 18 December 1942 Hafner was on a bomber intercept mission. While approaching the bomber formation they engaged the escorting P-38 Lightning fighter escort. In the ensuing dog fight Hafner flamed the left engine of a P-38. The pilot, Norman L. Widen, bailed out and was taken prisoner of war and brought to Hafner's airfield. After Hafner landed, Widen presented Hafner his silver pilot insignia. Before Widen was taken to the POW camp, Hafner and Widen promised to meet again after the war. Hafner sent the gift to his brother, Alfons Hafner, with the request to return the gifts together with a medal and picture of Anton Hafner in case of Anton Hafner getting killed in action. In 1960 Alfons Hafner managed to contact Major Widen via the US Airforce to fulfil his brother's will. On 16 October 1944, Hafner destroyed four fighters thus taking him past the double century mark. Hafner's 204th and last victory was a Soviet Yak-7 fighter on 17 October 1944. However, during the dogfight his plane hit a tree. His Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 442 013—factory number) "Black 1" crashed killing Hafner, the highest scoring pilot of JG 51 "Mölders".Weal 2001, p.92. Anton Hafner was credited with 204 victories in 795 combat missions. He claimed 184 victories over the Eastern Front. Of his 20 victories claimed over the Western front, eight were P-38 two engine fighters. Among his claims are 55 Il-2 Sturmoviks. Awards *Iron Cross (1939) ** 2nd Class (6 July 1941)Thomas 1998, p. 237. ** 1st Class (18 July 1941) *Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (27 April 1942)Obermaier 1989, p. 65. *German Cross in Gold on 22 May 1942 as Unteroffizier in the 6./JG 51Patzwall and Scherzer 2001, p. 159. *Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ** Knight's Cross on 23 August 1942 as Feldwebel and pilot in the 6./JG 51 "Mölders"Scherzer 2007, p. 360. ** 452nd Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944 as Leutnant (war officer) and pilot in the 6./JG 51 "Mölders" References ;Citations ;Bibliography * * * Patzwall, Klaus D. & Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X. * * * Weal, John (2001). Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84176-084-6. External links * * Category:1918 births Category:1944 deaths Category:People from Alb-Donau-Kreis Category:German World War II flying aces Category:German military personnel killed in World War II Category:Luftwaffe pilots Category:Recipients of the Gold German Cross Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Category:People from the Kingdom of Württemberg